Dentists, marijuana could help curb opioid epidemic
New approaches are definitely needed to
battle the opioid epidemic. More drug war is not the answer. The rise in heroin overdose deaths is a result of a federal crackdown on prescription opioids. Criminalization of users increases the risk of overdose deaths and creates barriers to cost-effective drug treatment. The only winners in the war on drugs are drug cartels.
The opioid commission created by President Trump failed to mention the potential role of marijuana in reducing overdose deaths. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association shows that states with legal medical marijuana access have a 25% lower opioid overdose death rate. The phrase “if it saves one life” has been used to justify drug-war abuses. Legal marijuana access to ease pain has the potential to save thousands of lives. Robert Sharpe Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.
USA TODAY correctly called opioid abuse in
America a “health crisis.” As vice president of health sciences and dean of the Medical School at the University of Minnesota, I couldn’t agree more.
Our institution considers this an all-hands-on-deck moment. We are mobilizing to bring doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, veterinarians and public health professionals to the table together to focus on education, research and clinical care.
For example, our School of Dentistry has become a national leader in working to curb opioid abuse. As the primary prescribers of opiates to young people (for pain following wisdom teeth removal), dentists are uniquely positioned to help curb the use and potential abuse of these drugs. Our dental clinics are shifting toward the use of ibuprofen, alone or in combination with acetaminophen, to provide pain relief. We educate our dental students and residents to do the same. We are working to design non-addictive painkillers and exploring ways to use brain stimulation to help recovering addicts.
The rise in opioid deaths has to be a call to action. Thoughtful policy changes, continued research funding, better access to care and continued awareness of the issue will help turn the tide. Brooks Jackson, M.D. University of Minnesota Medical School Minneapolis